1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to the collection and verification of information or data and, more particularly, to a method and implementing system for the collection, verification and compilation of data that characterizes electronic equipment, including, but not limited to, a personal computer system or components thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often the case that sophisticated purchasers of electronic systems, which systems may include, but are clearly not limited to, personal computer systems, prefer to acquire customized configurations of those systems in order to accommodate the purchasers"" specific desires or requirements. With respect to customized personal computer system configurations, a large number of constituent components must be selected. System components include the system processor, memory, monitor, keyboard, mouse/trackball, disk drives, printers, internal or external modems, audio subsystems, and other peripheral devices, now existing or devised hereafter. Each of the aforementioned types of components may be acquired from a number of manufacturers who typically offer various models of such components. When confronted with the vast array of potential permutations and combinations of system components, the purchaser, or system designer, will inevitably be confounded by the complexity of the selections that must be made. This situation has been somewhat ameliorated by the relatively recent availability of software that automates the system configuration and design process.
Regardless, however, whether system configuration is done empirically by a human being, or with the assistance of configuration software, the likelihood of realizing desired system performance, and achieving compatibility among system components, is largely predicated on the availability of data that adequately and accurately characterizes the system components of the system.
It might be expected that the primary source of data characterizing personal computer components would be the manufacturers themselves. Although this is generally true, it has been found that manufacturers"" published information is sometimes disappointing in its accuracy, comprehensiveness, and timeliness. Furthermore, it has been found that manufacturers tend to be idiosyncratic in their approaches to providing physical or performance data to characterize their products, resulting in data sheets that may be underinclusive in failing to provide data necessary to the configuration of a system or overinclusive in providing data that is irrelevant to system configuration.
Accordingly, what is desired is a solution that enables the collection, verification and compilation of data that facilitates the customized configuration of personal computer systems in a manner that realizes desired system performance and avoids incompatibilities among system components.
The above and other objects, advantages and capabilities are achieved in one aspect of the subject invention by a method for compiling data to specify an object, which object may include, but is clearly not confined to, a component to be included in a personal computer system. The method contemplates establishing a predefined array of attributes that characterize the object. A plurality of agents, acting independently, acquire respective values of the each predefined object attributes from a global source of such values. The values acquired by the agents are checked against values, or ranges of values, that have been predetermined to be accurate. The attribute values respectively acquired by the agents are then compared for situational equivalence. If the values are found to be situationally equivalent, they are written into, or retained in, a database. If not, a resolution process is invoked that results in retention in the database of a presumptively accurate value. As an enhancement, the global source of data is routinely examined to determine whether attribute values have been updated.
Another aspect of the invention inheres in a combined hardware/software system that enables the compilation of data in congruence with the inventive method summarized above. The system comprises acquisition means for acquiring values of attributes that have been preselected to characterize the object. The acquired values are applied to a difference means that determines the situational equivalence, or lack thereof, of at least two independently acquired values of the same attribute. A database coupled to the difference means retains attribute values that have been determined to be accurate.
A further aspect of the invention resides in a method of compiling data to specify an object, the method comprising, via a first agent, (i) accessing a global source of information that contains values characterizing attributes of the object, (ii) comparing the values accessed to a predetermined value, or range, that has been determined to be accurate, (iii) selecting a value of the attribute, and (iv) writing the value selected into a database. The operations indicated above are performed, independently and in tandem, via a second agent. Subsequently, a difference engine retrieves from the database values written for a particular attribute and determines whether the values are equivalent. If so, a value for the asset is retained in the database. If not, a resolution process is invoked, according to which a value may be empirically determined and written to the database.
Yet another aspect of the invention is represented in a data compiler for a system that utilizes a number of acquisition agents for independently acquiring values of one or more attributes that characterize an object. The data compiler comprises a database and a difference engine. The database has one or more inputs for coupling to the agents to select attributes with reference to predetermined permissible values of the attributes. The difference engine is coupled to the database for (i) reading two or more values of the attribute that have been selected by agents and are stored in the database, (ii) comparing the two or more values, and (iii) if the values that are compared are equivalent, causing a value to be retained by the database, and(iv) if the values that are compared are not equivalent, causing a resolution process to be invoked.
Another aspect of the invention is realized by a data collection and compilation system for creating, storing, and distributing a record that characterizes an object, the record containing values of a predetermined array of attributes that characterize the object. The system comprises a first database for storing the record and a processor coupling a first research analyst to a global source of information containing candidate values of the attributes and coupling the first research analyst to the database for entering into the record values selected by the first research analyst, as well as a processor coupling a second research analyst to a global source of information containing candidate values of the attributes and coupling the second research analyst to the database for entering into the record values selected by the second research analyst.
A difference engine is coupled to the first database for (i) reading and comparing the respective values entered by the first and the second research analysts, (ii) for comparing those values, and (iii) for causing to be inserted into the record status information that indicates whether the values compared are equivalent or not equivalent. A processor is included for coupling a reconciliation agent to the first database for enabling the agent to read a record that contains status information that indicates that values compared by the difference engine were not equivalent and-for enabling the reconciliation agent to enter a reconciled value for the attribute.
An aspect of the invention is also realized in a system that utilizes a plurality of acquisition agents for respectively and independently acquiring values of an attribute for characterizing an object, wherein each of the agents acquires a value by searching a source of information regarding the object and, as a result of the search, selects and enters into a database a value of the attribute. This aspect includes a difference engine coupled to the database for (i) reading two or more values of the attributes that have been selected by agents and are stored in the database, (ii) comparing the two or more values, and (iii) if the values that are compared are determined by the difference engine to be equivalent, causing a value to be retained by the database, and (iv) if the values that are compared are determined by the difference engine not to be equivalent, causing a reconciliation process to be invoked.
A specific aspect of the invention is practiced in a method of compiling data to specify an object. The method comprises the steps: (a) establishing a predetermined array of attributes to characterize the object, which array includes at least one attribute that is constituted from an undefined number of subattributes of the same type; (b)(i) by virtue of a first acquisition agent, determining the undefined number of subattributes and acquiring a first set of values for the number of subattributes determined by the first acquisition agent; and (b)(ii) by virtue of a second acquisition agent, and substantially independent of the first acquisition agent, determining the undefined number of subattributes and acquiring a second set of values for the number of subattributes determined by the second acquisition agent, wherein the undefined number of subattributes is respectively, and independently, determined by the first and by the second acquisition agents upon acquisition of the values.